Exclusive video preview: The Aristocrats' new album, Culture Clash

Aristocrats Minnemann, Beller and Guthrie have nine new tracks to hold you
Aristocrats Minnemann, Beller and Guthrie have nine new tracks to hold you (Image credit: Jennifer Young)

On 16 July, The Aristocrats, the scarifyingly talented progressive rock/fusion instrumental power trio featuring guitarist Guthrie Govan, bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Marco Minnemann, will release their second full-length studio effort titled Culture Clash.

You can check out a generous preview of every cut on the new album by watching the above video.

The band's self-titled 2011 debut is already hailed as something of a classic, appealing to both progressive/fusion fans and metal aficionados. Discussing the band's musical chemistry, Govan told MusicRadar recently, "We have an unreasonable amount of fun playing together. Every 20 seconds, I'll hear something from one of the other guys that just makes me smile, or it terrifies me. But it keeps you on your toes. We all play for the same reasons."

Echoing Govan's sentiments, Beller said, "We've all been totally blown away by the reaction to the first album, the live album, and just us becoming a band in general. We're all beyond grateful for that. So this record, I feel like, is a response to that amazing response. It's like, 'OK, you dug all that crazy stuff on the first one, eh? Well, here, check this out.' We don't want to rest on our laurels. We want to push this thing further, as far as we can, wherever that goes."

A day after Culture Clash's release, The Aristocrats hit the road for what will be their most extensive US tour so far. The venue tour kicks off in Nashville, TN, on 17 July and includes select clinics at schools like the Atlanta Institute of Music, Berklee College of Music and more.

Culture Clash is issued by BOING Music, and you can purchase the album at the official Aristocrats store page. There is also a deluxe edition of the album, which includes a bonus DVD called Accept The Mystery: The Making Of The Aristocrats' Culture Clash.

For more info on The Aristocrats, visit their official website and their Facebook page.

Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar WorldGuitar PlayerMusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.